It Started with Snow
by pokemon fan 98
Summary: Icicle stared at her. "My daughter, I've missed you." Frost wanted to get out of there. Caitlin decided to follow him. After all, they had a responsibility to keep him from hurting anyone. This might be their best chance to stop him. Speculation for Icicle's return.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hey guys! It's been a little while since I've posted a Flash story that isn't my crossover with S.H.I.E.L.D... (which you should totally check out if you watch both shows). _

_I saw that episode 19 is going to bring back Icicle, and wanted to put my own theory/one possible storyline out there before we get the promo on Tuesday night. I hope that the end of episode 18 leads into 19 in some way. _

_This is part one of probably just two, but maybe three. I'm almost done with it (I think), so I should post the rest in a few days. Let me know how you like it!_

* * *

Caitlin's phone vibrated, and a glance at the caller ID instantly soured her mood.

_What does she want_? Frost asked.

Caitlin bit the inside of her lip. It was a bit late, but she guessed it could be the customary 'happy birthday' message that let her mother claim to be a part of her life. She watched as the call ended and her phone screen darkened. Her shoulders relaxed.

_You really let yourself get worked up, don't you?_ Frost asked with some amusement.

_She lied to me,_ Caitlin told her. _She told me my dad was dead. She lied to my face, for years, and when I gave her a chance to tell the truth a few months ago, she lied again._

Her agitation was rising, and she stopped trying to read the article on her monitor as she started the same sentence for the fifth time. _She ruins everything,_ Caitlin thought. She'd been so excited to be able to read this newest piece on genetic mutations, and though she had the moment of free time necessary, her mental state wouldn't allow her to focus on it.

Her phone started vibrating again. It was her mother, calling a second time. Caitlin narrowed her eyes at it as it vibrated twice and then stopped.

_She must really want to talk to you, Caity._

Caitlin steeled herself and called back. It went straight to voicemail. "She's just messing with me," she said, placing the phone down heavily. She grabbed her purse and jacket and walked out, suddenly in need of some fresh air.

0-0

It was the next morning, as she walked to her car to drive to S.T.A.R. Labs, that she saw him again. She laid one hand on the door and started to open it, belatedly realizing how cold it was as she saw Icicle sitting in her passenger seat.

"Caitlin."

Caitlin stopped at the voice, then whirled into action, raising her hands up and starting to let Frost take control. Frost faced Icicle with frozen mist trailing from her hands, eyeing him warily. The man looked at her and smiled.

"My daughter, I've missed you." He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "No tricks. No threats. I just want to talk to you."

"Why?" she asked in a hard voice. She could feel Caitlin's pain, seeing their father so close but knowing the Thomas Snow from their memories was buried beneath ice.

"Because we're family." He leaned closer, as if to move out of the car, and Frost made more vapor trail from one hand, raising it threateningly. Icicle stopped and chuckled. "You are ruthless, aren't you? I know our last meeting didn't go as well as I'd hoped."

"You tried to destroy Thomas."

"And you attacked me. Not the best moment for either of us."

He seemed so flippant. It was aggravating. Frost started to reach for her phone to press the panic button. She knew Flash was still struggling with Nora's betrayal, but hopefully he could run in and bring Icicle to the pipeline. She really didn't want to fight him.

"Please don't call the Flash," Icicle said.

Frost stopped reaching for her phone, weighing her options. She had maybe a few more seconds to attack if she wanted any modicum of surprise. After that he would be expecting it.

_Let me talk to him, _Caitlin said.

_What if he starts to attack? _

_If it looks like he's going to, you take over. I want to try something._

Frost internally sighed, but went against her better judgment to allow Caitlin to face Icicle. The man watched with calculating eyes as her appearance changed.

"What do you want?" Caitlin asked.

"Let's go somewhere more private."

_Yeah right,_ Frost said.

Caitlin studied him, searching for a trace of Thomas beneath the cruel blue eyes. "Fine."

_Caity, what do you think you're doing? _

_I have to try to help him._

_We can't trust him!_

_No,_ Caitlin agreed. Frost seemed startled and quieted. _I know we can't trust him. But we have a responsibility to either help him or stop him, so he can't hurt anyone else. Which means we have to stay with him._

She knew Frost was itching to take control and just get away, but she felt she was right about this. If they tried to fight, Icicle would just take off again. And he definitely had some sort of plan he was working on. They had to try to gain the upper hand.

Caitlin got into her car, putting the key into the ignition and starting it up. "Where are we going?"

The drive was mostly quiet. On the outside, anyway. Icicle didn't say much, but Frost was having a full discussion with Caitlin, which mostly consisted of comments like _I can't believe you're doing this_ and _the second he even steps toward you I'm icing his ass. _Caitlin didn't try to argue that it wasn't stupid and risky. But Barry did things that could be called stupid and risky all the time, because he thought the chance that he could make a difference was worth it. To Caitlin, that was part of what a hero did. Frost did seem to understand that, but her protective instincts outweighed her hero complex in this instance. Caitlin was partially glad – it meant that, together, they were approaching this the right way. She taking the risk, Frost being cautious.

_At least make your phone easier to reach_, Frost said as Caitlin parked the car.

Caitlin took the key out and slipped it into her purse, using the motion to rotate her phone. All she had to do was touch the screen and the 911 message would be sent to S.T.A.R. Labs.

They were still in Central City, but Caitlin had never been to this part. It was rundown and not as busy as the area around Jitters was. She could see why he'd given her instructions to come here.

"Come inside, Caity."

Caitlin stiffened. "Don't call me that."

Icicle half-smiled as he opened the door for her. Caitlin tried to be extra vigilant, half-focused on Icicle as he followed her and started leading her in, half trying to memorize details of the room. It was pretty empty, aside from a table meant for a dining room in the center. The table was covered with papers and folders, and two laptops were open on it.

"You need help with something," she guessed, stopping at the edge of the table.

He walked over to one of the laptops and turned it so she could see it. "That's one reason I wanted you to come here, Caitlin. Well, that's why I wanted _you _to come. I want _Khione_ for something else."

Caitlin felt Frost react to the name. And not in a negative way. If anything, it was like she wanted to reach out, and then drew in on herself. It was almost like being called Khione saddened her, and Caitlin understood a few seconds later. She wanted to have a relationship with Thomas as much as Caitlin did, but knew they couldn't trust Icicle.

"Why should I help you do anything?" Caitlin asked.

"Why did you come?" he countered.

She pursed her lips and went to look at his computer. A lot of the papers on the table were maps. One of Central City, one of the state… they kept covering larger geographical areas. The computer screen held structural formulas. "What are you doing?"

She didn't realize she'd spoken aloud until he answered. "Trying to make it colder throughout the year. I know it can't be winter the whole year, because plants and food and blah blah blah…"

_That's his grand plan? _Frost asked. _He wants more cold?_

_No, there's something else. This compound seems familiar…_

She backed up abruptly, snapping her gaze to him. "You're still trying to get rid of Thomas."

Some of the formulas on the screen did relate to meteorology, but he'd snuck in the gene therapy she'd been working on months ago, which he hadn't gotten to see finished.

Icicle studied her for a few seconds and then held his hands up in a 'what can I say' gesture. "I wasn't lying about wanting more winter, Caitlin." He stared at her with contempt, his expression darkening rapidly. "I just want less Snow."

Frost took over in a second, sending a wave of ice at the table to destroy the computers and notes. She reached for her phone and pressed at the screen, but didn't look to see if it worked; she threw the purse aside and strode over to him, slightly wary because he hadn't done anything to attack.

"Khione," he said in a softer voice – sounding much more like Thomas than Icicle – "you really do have quite the temper." Frost stilled, hesitating. He reached a hand up to brush at her hair, and she forced her doubts down, knocking his hand away.

_Frost -._

_Not now,_ Frost told Caitlin.

She drew her fist back, knowing he would just block it but hoping to land a hit with her other hand while he did.

"I wouldn't do that, daughter!" Icicle cried, deflecting her blow as expected. Her secondary attack, an ice beam, also missed as he shoved her hand out of the way, and he frowned at her. "Wouldn't want your mother getting caught in the crossfire!"

Frost hesitated again. Icicle again remained still. She didn't think he wanted to hurt her. Did that mean he really…?

_He's trying to distract us_, Caitlin said.

_What if he's not?_

Frost jumped back and looked around as quickly as she could, fixing her eyes back on Icicle every second. "She's not here," she said.

"Are you sure?"

Icicle pulled a remote out of his pocket and pressed one of the two buttons on it. An image appeared on the far wall, showing Carla Tannhauser in a small room. Frost's eyes honed in on the handcuffs around Carla's wrist, binding her to a table leg. Frost couldn't tell where she was, but she was definitely being held somewhere. It was a live feed.

_That's why she called,_ Caitlin said, with growing horror. _He must have taken her yesterday!_

_He doesn't want to seriously fight us,_ Frost said. _He thinks we'll just go along with him._ _Which means he might not expect this._

Frost looked at Icicle and thrust her hands back, preparing a wave of cold energy that would knock him flat. Icicle moved a fraction of a second before her, pushing one hand toward the ceiling. Frost's attack had just started forming by the time she realized the ceiling was coming down, and she didn't have time to stop it.

Debris rained down on her, cutting off her attack and felling her in an instant. Frost's awareness cut out, forcing Caitlin to the front of their mind, though in their current state, it didn't much matter who was in control. The pain was distant as she hit the floor – she was too close to unconsciousness to really feel it. She did feel Icicle's hand close around hers, pulling her free from the debris. She hazily saw him lean over her, his hand still clutching hers.

"It's time to get the family back together."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hey guys! I said I hoped that episode 18 had a bookend for 19, and it did not. It's the first time since season one that we haven't had a significant Caitlin moment near the end of episode 18. Moreover, the promo for episode 19 didn't show Icicle at all! I was definitely a little disappointed by that. Hopefully we get a lot of good things in the actual episode. Until then, here's the next part of my speculation for Icicle's return. I'm writing the third and final part now, and I should get it to you by the time episode 19 airs. _

* * *

She didn't know how long she was unconscious. Long enough for her to be taken… somewhere, without any recollection of being moved. She remembered being pulled from the debris, and then she was waking up with a pounding headache, her hands bound behind her back.

"Caitlin, are you alright?"

She winced as she opened her eyes fully, looking at her mother. "Yeah, great," she said sarcastically.

Carla hesitantly reached over, tenderly touching a spot on top of Caitlin's head. Caitlin sucked in a breath as the light contact caused a stinging pain, and saw that Carla's hand had a bit of blood on it when she took it away.

_Let me -._

_Yeah,_ Caitlin agreed.

Frost took control, and both sighed when her healing took effect. _Much better,_ Frost said. She looked at the door with a combination of rage and shock. _I can't believe he dropped a ceiling on us. He could've killed us._

_He probably thought it was a fast way to take us, and that your healing would be strong enough._

Frost glared at the door a little harder. _That doesn't make it better. At least the headache's gone, though_. _You wanna take the reins again?_

_You should try getting out of the cuffs first._

"Caitlin?"

Frost didn't look at her, experimentally tugging at the handcuffs. They seemed like standard cuffs. She angled her hand toward them and used her powers to freeze them. They broke easily.

_He knew we could get out of those with a little ice,_ Frost thought as the handcuffs clattered to the floor. _Why didn't he make it harder?_

_Are you really complaining?_

_Right. Priorities._

Carla was looking at her with shock-widened eyes. "I thought you were gone."

"I'm back, no thanks to you." Frost reached down and froze the handcuffs linking one of Carla's hands to the table leg. "Any idea where he is?"

Carla reached for her wrist as she stood. "Your father -."

"That's not my father."

"Really? I could have sworn you were my daughter."

Frost didn't hesitate, turning with her hand raised. Icicle caught at her hand and she spun, knocking her free hand flat against his chest. The force behind the movement – and the icy blast – sent him backwards, against the doorway of the small room.

"Get out of here," Frost said, with a quick look at Carla.

"Caitlin -."

"I need you both to stay," Icicle said. "Carla dear, I'm almost ready for you. Until then…" He moved his hands back, and Frost mirrored his movements, pitting her powers against his. The cold forces met in the middle. Frost frowned as she felt the push from Icicle's, and dug her heels in as she tried to overpower him. The pressure on her eased as her blast started overpowering his, until Icicle played dirty and larger ice crystals shot over to her. She lost her focus and Icicle's attack slammed into she and Carla. Frost placed a hand on the ground behind her and sprang back up, shaking her head to clear the crystals from her eyes.

"Almost ready for what?" she asked.

Icicle took a step closer. "The two of us are already alike, but your mother doesn't fit in yet. So we're going to give her the same abilities we have. And I can't wait to meet her persona." He looked more closely at Frost. "You give up control so frequently. Wouldn't you like to be your own person, unrestrained by Caitlin?"

"I don't see her restraining me," Frost said.

"Not anymore, no," Icicle said. "The compound I gave you before handcuffing you should keep her at bay."

Frost felt her brows crease in worry. _Caity?_ she asked. _What's he talking about?_

_I don't know._

The answer wasn't delayed at all. Frost breathed a sigh of relief. "Your science skills really have gone downhill," she told Icicle. "Caity's fine."

"Thomas was still present for months, years really, but eventually he was buried. It's hard to just be a voice in the body you used to control." He scoffed at her confusion. "The compound didn't erase Caitlin, daughter. It trapped her inside when you assumed control. Since you won't fight for yourself, I had to intervene."

_Caity, can you take control?_

_I don't know. Now doesn't seem like a good time for me to be out -._

_Try it now,_ Frost urged. _Please._

At first nothing happened. Then Frost felt pressure in her head, just behind her eyes.

"I told you she's trapped," Icicle said judgmentally. "This only causes you discomfort."

When the pressure stopped, Caitlin spoke. _I can't get through._ Her words were quiet, lacking the energy she'd had before, and a dull rage settled in Frost as she stalked up to Icicle.

He stopped her with a flick of his wrist, sending her flying back to the far wall. "I really don't have time for your theatrics. Just a few more calibrations and the machine will be ready." He walked out the door, and Frost heard the pressurized seal as it locked behind him.

"This better not be permanent," she fretted aloud.

"If it's like the compound I developed for him years ago, the effects will be temporary."

Frost looked at Carla with narrowed eyes. "You've played a part in all of this, _mother._" The last word dripped with venom, but Frost didn't care. "If you'd told us the truth, all of this could have been avoided."

"I did what I thought I had to, to protect you," Carla started.

"Maybe, _maybe_, I can understand why you kept our powers from us as a kid. But when we came to you, terrified that we were losing ourselves when those powers started re-emerging, you still didn't come clean! You made us think we were broken and evil!"

"_I didn't know you could be anything else!_" Carla raised her voice to match Frost's. "I watched as your father was overtaken by that persona, as he became cruel and heartless. He locked himself away to keep that darkness from hurting you. But when you started showing the same signs – I couldn't lose my daughter too!"

Frost and Carla stared at each other, breathing heavily, Frost staring at her searchingly and wondering how much of this was the truth, until Frost turned to look at the door. "Didn't you, though?" she asked quietly. "I wouldn't call what we have a real relationship, Mom. You lost me a long time ago."

She heard Carla's breath hitch, and part of her was glad she'd seemed to hurt her mother. At least she knew part of Carla's defense was based in truth.

_Do you think it was her idea? _Caitlin asked, surprisingly gently.

_What do you mean?_

_Keeping us apart. Not telling me that you were there, after the experiment. Do you think that was Mom's call, or Dad's?_

_Does it matter? They both knew. _Frost looked back at Carla and then to the door Icicle had gone through, analyzing it. _They both lied._

_I'm not trying to excuse it_, Caitlin said. _But maybe this isn't all on her._

Frost considered this as she attempted to break through the door. She placed her hands flat against its surface, hoping to freeze it enough to break the lock around the edges. She stiffened when she felt a hand on her arm.

"For what it's worth," Carla said, "I am sorry. I know I did a lot of things wrong, and if I could, I would change that. But all we can do now is try to move forward. I think if we work together, we can try to save your father."

"How?" Frost asked, still channeling cold energy onto the door.

"If anyone can appeal to his good side, it's the two of us."

Frost looked at her and breathed out low, relieving some of her anger with the breath. "Okay. What do you have in mind?"

0-0

They made a rough plan, but one problem remained: Icicle would never let Frost out as the experiment was going on. He knew Frost would attack him. Caitlin had to be in control if they wanted to be let out of the room – which they had to be.

"You need to try to change," Carla said.

"We did."

Carla shook her head. "It won't work if one of you is pushing for control. Thomas probably modified it, but the original compound we developed was meant to keep the cryogenic signature buried. It seems like all he did was switch which side was restrained. Its basic function is keeping one side in control as the other is contained."

"So if neither of us tries to stay in control," Frost started.

"It might displace the effects of the compound," Carla finished.

_Does that even make sense?_ Frost asked.

_Theoretically, _Caitlin said._ If the compound works by keeping me inside, you refusing to stay outside might force a change. That, or we'll get a pounding headache._

Everything about this situation was giving Frost a headache, so she decided to just try it. _Don't think,_ she told herself. _Don't feel._

It was harder than she'd thought it would be. It didn't take long to realize it wasn't working. Usually she just had to imagine falling back, because at the same time Caity was stepping forward. Her mouth opened as she realized this. _Caity,_ she said, _we need to meet in the middle. _

She heard Caitlin laugh as she understood. _Of course we do._

So Frost started again, this time less worried about distancing herself from her body, and more worried about connecting with Caity. She felt Caitlin's consciousness brush against hers and tried to latch onto it, forcing them to stay equally present. Two minds at equal strength, occupying the same space… it wasn't the best feeling, as pressure did start building in their head, but Frost thought it was working – she could only feel her powers in one hand…

She imagined she felt Caitlin's hand in hers as the pressure built and then started abating, and mentally pushed Caitlin forward as she fell back.

Caitlin gasped as she opened her eyes. Her mother was looking at her with clear relief, and Caitlin realized she was in control again. "It worked."

_Yeah, I got that._

"You two really do work together well," Carla said, in a voice Caitlin seldom heard her use.

Caitlin met her eyes for a few seconds. "Thank you for helping."

Before either of them could say anything the pressurized door opened. Icicle walked in with one hand at the ready, trailing frozen mist, and stopped short when he saw Caitlin.

"Surprised?" Caitlin asked with false enthusiasm.

"What did you…?"

Caitlin looked at him levelly. "I don't like being restrained."

"My daughter is protective of you," he said, almost to himself.

Caitlin was expecting it, and watched as if in slow motion as Icicle started to send a wave of frozen mist at her. _Don't,_ she urged Frost.

The mist struck her, sending her slamming into the rear wall for the second time that day.

_Now,_ Caitlin said. _Just for a second._

Frost started to channel her powers. Their hands started to drop in temperature. Caitlin didn't let it go beyond that, pretending to wince. Frost quickly drew back, and when Caitlin looked at Icicle again, the man was studying her carefully, as he always seemed to.

Caitlin tried to glare at him, not that it was too hard, and they did the little skit one more time. This time Caitlin cried out as Frost stopped using her powers. She looked at Icicle, breathing heavier than normal, and saw a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

"It must have been painful to force the change. It would be even more so to do it again. I thought you were smarter than this, Caitlin. You've made yourself defenseless because of pride."

Caitlin glared at him but didn't say anything.

_He really has no clue, does he?_ Frost asked.

Icicle looked at Carla. "It's time." He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of the room. He didn't give Caitlin a second glance, and she allowed herself to smile slightly before moving to follow him.

Carla's voice travelled over to Caitlin as she walked out of the small room. "Thomas, I know you're still in there. If you do this, you'll only regret it. You have to trust me."

Caitlin imagined Carla's gaze flicking in her direction at those last words, knowing they were meant for her. She was surprised when she realized she did trust Carla, in this moment.

Icicle cuffed Carla to the arm of the chair he'd set up in the lab. "I won't lie to you Carla," he said. "This might hurt. You won't feel it for long, though."

"Why are you so determined to do this?" Caitlin asked.

He spared a glance at her. "Everyone needs a family, Caitlin. I know you understand that."

"Thomas, we're already a family!" Carla said.

"My name's not Thomas!" Icicle yelled. His voice echoed in the empty lab, and he released a shaking breath. "Enough talking. It's time to meet your Khione."

_Caity -!_

_I know._

Caitlin stepped closer, so she stood next to Carla and Icicle, and spoke quickly, reaching one hand toward Icicle but stopping short of touching him.

"Please don't do this! It doesn't have to be one or the other. Caitlin, Frost. Yeah, we don't both get to have full control all the time, but we don't mind sharing. We like being like this, don't you see? She's a part of me, and I'm a part of her. But you're missing part of yourself, so you can't understand that." Caitlin felt Frost push forward in their mind so both had partial control - brown hair, blue eyes - and felt their powers surge to their hand. "We can show you what we mean."

They saw the shock in his eyes. It didn't stop them. They'd only been bested before because they'd kept hesitating. They didn't now. They moved together, striking out at Icicle with a ferocity like when they'd fought Cicada, weeks before, summoning an ice blade and engaging him in a dangerous dance. He couldn't keep up, and stumbled back when their blade sliced shallowly across his chest. They pressed the advantage and coated him with ice, effectively pinning him to the floor. Frost mentally stepped back, and Caitlin felt the cold leave her hand.

"Impossible!" Icicle roared.

Caitlin tossed the bloodied blade to the floor, and was certain her words came from both she and Frost as she said, "shut up."

Icicle started struggling to break free. Caitlin knelt beside him, searching again for some sign of Thomas beneath all that cold and hate. If he was still there, he was definitely buried pretty deep. She wasn't ready to stop digging, though.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a growl, still struggling beneath the ice.

"It's time to get the family back together," Frost said as she took over, echoing Icicle's earlier words. "My real family." She coated her fist in ice and punched him in the face, knocking him out. Caitlin had to let Frost be the one to do it, but they switched back again right after.

"Caitlin!"

Caitlin walked over and freed her mother. She was surprised when Carla hugged her, and hesitantly returned the gesture.

"We need to get him to S.T.A.R. Labs," Caitlin said. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

Carla started to shake her head, and Caitlin's eyes moved around the room, stopping on the desk in the corner. She walked over to it and retrieved the tablet, first looking at their location, then messaging Barry when she saw that it was over an hour away from Central City.

"The Flash should be here any minute," she told her mother. "He can bring you home after we've put Icicle in the pipeline."

"Caitlin… would it be alright if I stayed? I told you we could try to save your father, and I'd rather work with you from your lab than remotely."

Caitlin looked at her carefully, wondering if the trust she'd given her mother minutes before was safe to continue giving.

_Caity,_ Frost said gently, _I think this time is different. She's different. It seems like she really wants to fix things._

Caitlin had thought that before and been burned, but she knew Frost had a point. Things would never get better if she didn't keep trying. Maybe Carla actually trying this time would make it work.

"I'd like that too."

There was a crackle of electricity and a rush of wind as Barry appeared in his Flash suit. His gaze moved to Caitlin. "What happened?"

* * *

_A/N: It all comes down to family. I think Icicle wants Carla and Caitlin gone, so he can have a family with Frost and whatever persona Carla would have, had the experiment worked. What do you think?_


	3. Chapter 3

His eyes widened, and he zipped immediately next to Caitlin. "You're bleeding."

"What? Oh, I was, but I'm good now." She'd forgotten that, while Frost's healing had taken affect, blood didn't disappear with the injuries.

Barry seemed like he wanted to question her, but noticed Icicle and got to work. He ran Icicle back to S.T.A.R. Labs. He came back and took Carla, at Caitlin's request, and returned a final time for Caitlin herself. By that time, Caitlin could see the need to know what had happened in his eyes. When he set her down back in the cortex, he turned to her expectantly.

She told them what had happened, and learned that it had been a little over a day since she'd gone missing. Her 911 message had not gone through, apparently. Frost scolded Caitlin on that one before remembering that she'd been the one to try activating it. The team had only known she was missing once, after not showing up at the lab and not answering her phone, Cisco had vibed her and seen her car in an unfamiliar place.

"Why did you go with him alone?" Ralph asked.

She straightened slightly, defensively. "I made a call. And it worked out."

"We were worried about you," Cisco said.

She softened. "I know." Something else was drumming along her pulse, keeping her energy up: _we have to go see him._ She needed to know if anything had changed. She checked the monitor and saw that Icicle was still unconscious though, so she waited for him to wake up. Apparently she'd had a little pent up rage in that last punch. As she waited, she showered and changed clothes, and returned to the cortex to find food ready for her, which she devoured.

"How are they doing?" Caitlin asked Cisco, when Barry and Iris walked out.

"Still fighting about Nora. I think this one's gonna last a while," he said quietly.

Caitlin looked at the monitor that showed the feed from the pipeline. Her mother had been down there for half an hour, sitting outside Icicle's cell. "Why are families so messed up?"

Cisco put a hand on her shoulder in silent comfort.

They watched as Icicle stirred. Carla stood and stepped up to his cell, but it was very clearly Icicle who glared at her, not Thomas. Caitlin didn't need to listen to the conversation as her mother tried to reason with him; she knew talking would never be enough.

_We can't talk to Icicle,_ Frost said, _but maybe we can talk to Thomas._

Caitlin whirled, startling Cisco. "I need you to set up Sherloque's memory machine."

Cisco frowned. "Why would I… wait, you want to go into Icicle's memories?"

"I believe my dad is still in there somewhere, Cisco. This might be the only way to get him back. So will you help me?"

Cisco looked over her shoulder, to where Barry and Iris were having a heated discussion in the hallway. "Yeah," he said after a few seconds. "I don't like doing it without telling the others, though."

"They've got enough on their minds. Besides, it's not like we're keeping it a secret. They'll find out when they walk in and see me in the machine."

Cisco nodded.

0-0

"Icicle's sedated and primed for the machine. I'm ready when you are," Cisco said, about an hour later.

"Let's do this."

Carla was looking at one of the monitors carefully. "You have a way of exploring Thomas's mind?"

Caitlin sat down on the bed, reaching for the connections to the machine. "I'll bring him back."

"Is this dangerous?"

"Not overly," Cisco said.

Caitlin frowned at him. Carla looked at Caitlin. "I want to go in with you."

Caitlin sighed. "Mom, you don't have to worry -."

"We stand a better chance of getting him back together," Carla said over her. "I'm going with you."

Caitlin looked at Cisco for help, but he shook his head at her. "I'll feel better if you're not alone, and she's got a point."

So Cisco set up Carla as Caitlin got herself ready, and once they were both laying down, Caitlin nodded at Cisco. He activated the machine, and the world cut out.

She opened her eyes and found herself in what looked like the Tannhauser site.

"This is very strange," Carla said, looking around.

Caitlin had to agree. "This place represents Icicle more than Dad," she said. "I don't know if we'll find him here."

"How do we know where to find him?"

_We don't,_ Frost said. _Caity, you have to tell her we don't have a plan._

_Why? It doesn't make a difference now. We're here, and we'll keep searching until we find him. What more do we need to plan?_

"Dad!" she called out. "Dad, can you hear me? It's Caitlin! Where are you?"

_Wait, don't do that!_

Silence.

_Thomas is here somewhere, but we're effectively in Icicle's head,_ Frost said quickly. _Which means he can work against us if he realizes we're here._

_Maybe we need him to know we're here._

"Thomas Snow!" Caitlin yelled.

The scene changed slightly: a figure appeared in the lab. Caitlin couldn't be sure if it was Thomas or Icicle wearing a mask, but it was definitely a memory. Barry and Iris had said they'd followed a younger version of Nora through several of her memories. Caitlin walked closer to the memory.

"This is just after he left," Carla said.

"How can you know that?"

Carla was looking at him with such an open expression that Caitlin found she didn't need the answer, though Carla did give her one: "It's your father."

Of course she would know. She would be able to recall how aged his face had looked, when he first left, and the look in his eyes. The memory of Thomas leaned over a microscope, then winced. His back arched, his hand tightening into a fist, and a blue glow entered his eyes. "No!" he said. "This is my body!"

"Thomas," Carla said, as if unable to help herself.

Thomas cried out and moved back from the table, his eyes searching the lab for something. Caitlin followed as he raced to the other side of the room, where he reached for a picture frame partly hidden by beakers. In his haste he knocked one of the beakers to the floor. It shattered. Thomas gripped the picture tightly, staring at it and mouthing something too quickly for Caitlin to comprehend.

His shaking stopped, the glow fading from his eyes, and he sighed before setting down the picture and going back to his workstation. Carla moved to follow Thomas; Caitlin reached for the picture frame. Her breath hitched.

The picture was from when she was six years old. She remembered taking it: her parents had insisted on getting professional pictures taken. She had found out later it was because her father's condition was rapidly deteriorating. They'd sat down for the picture in their living room and gotten a few nice ones, but Caitlin hadn't been able to smile convincingly on command at that point. She'd learned that skill later. This picture was taken just before the photographer left; when Thomas had told Caitlin her reward for sitting through the process was a science experiment that night, and the photographer had captured the natural smile Caitlin had given both her parents. They seemed happy in the picture too, Thomas smiling softly at Caitlin, Carla smiling at Thomas with her arm around Caitlin's shoulders.

_I'd forgotten about that day, _Caitlin told Frost. She wasn't ashamed of the tears in her eyes, though she did wish it wasn't so hard to speak. _I didn't know this picture still existed._

"He's gone."

Caitlin turned at Carla's voice, wiping a hand at her eye. She didn't have time for this. The memory of Thomas was gone, so Caitlin and her mother stood there alone again.

"It was the end of that memory," Caitlin said, sniffling. "We need to try to find the next one."

Carla walked back over to Caitlin and looked at the picture still in Caitlin's grip. "You know what he was saying to himself, right?"

Caitlin shook her head.

Carla's voice seemed a little unsteady. "He was saying 'have to protect Caitlin and Carla.'"

_He said it over and over, _Frost said. _That's how he kept Icicle at bay._

_Until something changed, _Caitlin said. _Maybe it wasn't enough, or…_

_Or Icicle used it to trap him! _Frost said quickly, with new energy. _Thomas used that picture to keep control. It wouldn't have been hard to trick him into going back home – mentally, anyway. Do you see what I mean?_

_No_.

_Caity, we have to go to the house!_

Comprehension flooded through her. She grabbed her mother's arm and started pulling her forward. "We have to go to the house."

She didn't know exactly how it would work, but she walked forward long enough that the Tannhauser site vanished, and kept picturing her childhood home. Eventually the mist around them settled into shapes; the home Caitlin hadn't visited in years stood before them.

Caitlin didn't hesitate, running up the front steps and inside. "Dad!" she called, as Carla called out "Thomas!"

Caitlin ran to the living room, where they'd taken their family pictures all those years ago. She stopped just inside. A figure sat in an armchair by the fireplace, hunched over and rubbing its hands together restlessly in its lap. It looked like him, but was it a memory, or…

"Thomas?" Carla asked, stepping forward.

Thomas Snow looked up, lifting a distant gaze in their direction. "Have to protect Caitlin and Carla. Can't let him win. He wants to bury them like he tries to bury me."

His voice was almost flat and barely audible. Carla walked up to him and crouched in front of him. "Thomas, we're here."

He didn't react until Carla placed her hand over his, and then clarity pierced his gaze as it locked on her. "Carla?"

"Yes, Thomas, it's me. And Caitlin."

He looked up at Caitlin. She and Frost were both frozen. This was no memory. He was interacting with them, which meant he was real. _He was real._

"Caity?"

Neither was really sure who stepped forward, but they found themselves at his side with a trembling smile. "Hi Dad."

"Caitlin…" His voice spiked in panic as he looked at her. "No, what did he do?" Thomas cried.

"Icicle?"

Thomas was looking around them in a confused kind of turmoil. "Last time I saw you, he tried to hurt you. What did he do, if I'm seeing you now? Where are we?"

"I know this sounds strange, but we're in your head," Caitlin said. "We did run into Icicle again, but we beat him, and now we're going to get you out of here."

"Out of here?"

_He's not processing everything, is he?_ Frost questioned.

_He knows we're real,_ Caitlin said. _That's enough for now._

"Thomas, you need to take back control," Carla said. "We can help you fight him, but only if you stand up and come with us."

"I – I don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't."

Carla was looking at him steadily, her voice insistent, and Caitlin realized her mother _was_ different. She was still the same person, but it was almost like she was less sharp around the edges. She held her hand out to Thomas, and the man hesitantly took it as he stood from his chair. They walked just behind Caitlin as she led them to the front door.

As she passed the threshold, a sense of unease raised the hairs on the back of her neck. _Get down!_ Frost yelled.

Caitlin didn't react quickly enough, and caught the blow fully. Icicle rammed into her, throwing her aside. It hurt as she collided with the porch railing, but she was more focused on rage than pain. Thomas was steps away from being in her life again. There was no way Icicle would keep that from happening.

Frost was in total agreement as she took over and ran into the house. Icicle was making Thomas retreat, pushing him back toward the living room. Frost formed a dagger and ran up to him.

And somehow ended up trapped with his hand around her throat. It was like she blinked and he suddenly had the upper hand, even though he hadn't seen her coming, and it was Caitlin who understood. They were in Icicle's mind, which meant he didn't have to play by normal rules. Icicle had her pinned to the wall, her hands frozen at her side as his hand started tightening around her throat.

Panic blurred the edge of her consciousness as she struggled to breathe.

"Caitlin!" Carla cried.

Frost started channeling her own ice, trying to free her hands. She lifted her feet to try to kick Icicle away, and then she was completely pinned to the wall.

"Thomas, we have to get out now! It's the only way to help her!"

Thomas was looking at Frost, but not with the fear that dominated Carla's expression. Thomas's face held distrust. "That's not Caitlin."

Frost stopped fighting against Icicle as his words settled over her. She dimly heard Carla yelling at Thomas that Caitlin was still there, that Frost mattered too, but it wasn't processing. His expression was stuck in her head, taunting her. She still couldn't breathe properly, but even if Icicle hadn't been choking her, she would have found it hard to draw breath. She looked at Thomas desperately. "_Dad… please!_"

Icicle wasn't tightening his grip, but it had been long enough that oxygen deprivation was making her lose consciousness. _Dad_, Frost and Caitlin thought blurrily.

Icicle stiffened, and his hand fell away from her throat. Frost inhaled a coughing breath, wheezing as her body screamed for oxygen. She saw Icicle fall to the floor, with Thomas standing behind him holding the dagger she had fashioned. The ice that had been trapping her to the wall broke with a dry crack, and Frost dropped to her hands and knees, still recovering her breath. Carla ran over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Frost looked up from under her hair to see Thomas studying her.

_He doesn't know,_ Caitlin tried to reassure her.

_He doesn't know __me,_ Frost corrected, and felt a surge of anger at herself when she started to cry. But she couldn't stop the tears that overwhelmed her. She clenched her fists and tried to restrain them, felt Carla's hand rubbing soothingly at her back. It didn't make a difference as she kept reliving Thomas's dismissal, the complete devastation ripping away her careful control.

_You better take over,_ Frost told Caitlin after a few seconds, when she could think again. At least that way, when she cried, it would be in private.

Caitlin surprised her. _No._

_What do you mean, no? _

_You need to do this. Show him that you're a part of our family._

Frost hitched a sobbing breath as she looked up at Thomas again. He was still studying her, though his expression seemed kinder than before. "Dad," she said, her voice thick from crying, "I've missed you so much."

"Thomas, this is -."

"Khione."

Frost sucked in a breath, staring at him. Thomas stepped closer and knelt across from Frost and Carla, meeting Frost's eyes.

"When I got out the last time, you were there."

Frost nodded. She'd been about to strike Icicle when he'd let Thomas take control, for an instant, to distract her. She didn't think Thomas had been coherent enough to notice it was her instead of Caitlin. "Caity and I were both there."

"You're not like him, are you?"

Frost shook her head once.

Thomas looked at her for a few more seconds and then held a hand out to her to help her stand. She wiped at her eyes and stood, and was surprised when he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her.

The tears she'd just managed to stop threatened to fall again, this time for the opposite reason. "Thank you for keeping Caity safe when I couldn't," Thomas whispered.

She just nodded against his shoulder, blinking back the burning in her eyes. "We should go," she said when they separated. "Icicle could have another defense mechanism."

"What happens when I leave the house?" Thomas asked.

Frost looked at Carla. "You'll need to fight," Carla said. "He stuck you in this part of your mind; you need to fight to take it all back. We'll be there to help you."

"If I can't beat him, I want you to know…"

Carla shook her head. "We didn't go through all this for things to stay the same. Go, Thomas."

He looked between them and nodded, and walked out the front door. Frost thought she heard a distant yell as Thomas walked out of his prison, and when she opened her eyes back in S.T.A.R. Labs, she knew it had been Icicle realizing Thomas was free.

"They're back!" Ralph called.

Frost pulled off the connections to the memory machine, sitting up. Cisco and Ralph were in the room. Barry and Iris ran in as Frost moved to stand.

"How'd it go?" Cisco asked, as Barry asked, "why didn't you wait?"

Frost explained what had happened, with help from Carla. Cisco expressed his concern at the fact that Caitlin and Frost had switched physically while in the machine, Barry his concern that they'd been in danger again, but both were satisfied that she was safe by the end of her explanation. And she was itching to go see Thomas.

_Your turn,_ Frost told Caitlin, _and don't fight me this time._

She could sense how eager Caitlin was to get her own reunion with him. _No problem._

Caitlin stepped to the front of their mind and practically ran down to the pipeline, her mother and the others close behind. They were all curious. The man was leaning against the wall inside his cell when Caitlin opened the outer door.

He looked like Icicle.

"Dad," Caitlin said, with slight disappointment.

"Maybe he just needs a minute," Ralph said optimistically.

"I can't watch this." Barry walked up next to her. "Come on, Thomas!" he shouted, jolting everyone. "Get out here! You can't put Caitlin through all this and not show up! She needs you!"

Part of his anger probably stemmed from the betrayal he was still reeling from, but he also seemed genuinely upset for her, and appreciation for her friend warmed her core. His words also seemed to have an effect on Icicle, as his appearance started to change. Thomas was fighting, and Caitlin started to smile as Thomas took full control.

"Thank you," he said to Barry. Then he looked at Caitlin and Carla, and smiled. "My girls."

0-0

Thomas stayed in control for a few hours; during that time, he was allowed to be free in the cortex, dutifully watched over by Barry (to be put back in the pipeline in a moment's notice) and fussed over by his wife and daughter. Caitlin got the chance to embrace him, as Frost had, and start to make up for lost time, in between moments of the serious discussion: how to keep Icicle from regaining control.

They didn't come up with anything, with their collective brain power, but Caitlin wasn't surprised. She expected this to be a personal struggle that medicine or technology wouldn't overcome; not individually, anyway.

Caitlin was trying to think of ways to make it easier for Thomas when Carla suggested returning home with him. It caught Caitlin slightly off guard, thinking that she'd just gotten him back (and just started really feeling connected with her mother), but she could see the sense in Carla's plan. Carla had the same kind of materials they did here. More importantly, Carla had the ability to ground Thomas to reality. Being in a lab would make his struggle against Icicle harder. If he could anchor himself to the world again by being in a familiar place, with familiar faces, he might gain control more easily and permanently.

Because Caitlin and Frost knew that Icicle would never change. He would have to be locked away, as Thomas had been.

In the meantime, Carla would monitor Thomas closely, watching for signs of slips in control and making a plan with Thomas to set him back in control when those lapses did happen.

Before Thomas and Carla stepped through the breach to their house, Caitlin hugged Carla and told her to call at the slightest sign of trouble. She handed Thomas a picture frame. It wasn't the frame from his memory, but one of the pictures was that same image he'd relied on for years, showing their little family all those years ago. Cisco had breached her to the Tannhauser site to retrieve it. The other picture was more recent, showing a grid design of four images taken the day before: Carla, Thomas, Caitlin, and Frost.

"Don't just rely on the old picture," Caitlin said.

Thomas pulled her close. "I love you, Caitlin. _Khione._"

"We love you too," Caitlin said, Frost echoing it in their head.

Her parents stepped through the breach and disappeared, and the team immediately turned to Caitlin. A surge of affection shot through her.

"Are you okay?" Iris asked.

Caitlin nodded. She actually was. Her broken family was starting to mend.

_I guess I am glad we followed Icicle, _Frost muttered, to stop the sappiness. Caitlin chuckled. _You did good, Caity._

_We did, _Caitlin corrected gently.

Caitlin wished, not for the first time, that she could give Frost a hug.

She imagined Frost was smiling in amusement at the thought.

* * *

_A/N: There's the end of It Started with Snow. I hope you liked it. I'm super excited for the episode tonight (I think I was right about Icicle wanting a family of his own!). I like the idea of him calling Frost 'Khione' too. I think that would be a cool name for her, and a way for her to still be KF, without the 'killer' part. I feel like Thomas would be kind of broken, after being trapped for so long, so this small victory (with him actively fighting for himself again) felt like the right ending. Like I said, very excited for tonight's episode. Please let me know what you thought of this story!_


End file.
